Customer Reviews

Icebound

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Leonard Guttridge has managed to recreate with astonishing accuracy truly one of the most incredible stories of human endurance that I have ever known. I can only wonder why this story has not found its way onto the silver screen. Presenting real-life facts that need no embellishment, Mr. Guttridge paints an enthralling picture of the enormous hardships endured by thirty-three men trapped in the artic in the late 19th century. These men had set sail from San Francisco in the "Jeanette," a small ship by today's standards, in search of the North Pole, where they hoped to find an warm, ice-free polar sea. However, several set-backs caused them to leave later in the year than intially planned, causing the Jeanette and her crew to become caught in the pack ice of the arctic ocean. After spending two winters trapped aboard their tiny prison, suffering through many shipboard ordeals, the Jeanette sank in the treacherous, frigid waters. The crew then for months made their way over ice and open water in horrendous weather. Some perished in the journey and some made it to land in northern Siberia. More died of exposure and starvation, lost in the maze-like delta of the Lena River, while miraculously some made it to civilation and safety. (This knowledge does not spoil the ending of the book, as these facts are made known to the reader early in the tome). The story of these men would be incredible if it happened today, with all of our modern equipment, but is even more so given the relatively primitive means at hand in the 1880s. Not only is this work a great story about some very courageous and determined men, but it is a reflection of the determination and heroism under extreme circumstances embodied in many persons of that era - characteristics that many feel lacking today. Furthermore, this is a poinant reminder of just how strong is man's will to survive.

Pedestrian prose abounds in this tale of an astonishing adventure that has messages for everyone. How vanity and position will cover the truth. How armchair theoreticians do not imagine their speculative webs will claim human lives. How foolish rivalries within the military will cost lives. How the dead are easily blamed whenever convenient. How reputations can be preserved or enhanced by judicious truth telling and equally judicious truth avoiding. How politics affects everything that happens in Washington, and pious politicians can mouth words that they know are a lie, all the while claiming to be "for the children" or some such [slop.]

No, this isn't today's news, but the unknown story of a very early, very poorly planned, polar expedition. No need for a summary, it is already here. But this book tells a tale of amazing endurance and staggering bravery that shames those of us sitting in warm houses with tennis elbow or a sore throat. What man can accomplish is truly astounding.

I wish the author had included a few maps of the locations; these are not easy places to locate in an atlas. And the spare writing wrings some of the joy from it; I had to remind myself of just what an amazing tale this was. I don't want shrieking, but the laconic style diminishes a tale of heroism rarely seen. A worthy read.

Icebound (The Jeannette Expedition's Quest for the North Pole) is not quite as exciting as the same author's, Leonard F. Guttridge, book The Ghosts of Cape Sabine. But this should still satisfy those seeking another chance to spend some time in an arctic adventure (even on this chilly winter days) and will only dissappoint those who seek a hint of cannibalism with their tale. This book has all the other usual elements of these stores, though, including betrayal, heroism, scientic stupidity, and, most of all, sheer perseverance in the face of insurmountable obstacles. This book also has a little political subterfuge to add to the mix. Another exciting re-addition to the polar canon.

This was the third nautical disaster book I read in the last couple of years, after Caroline Alexander's "The Endurance" and Nathaniel Philbrick's "Heart of the Sea". I might have liked this better if I'd read it first, but it doesn't compare to Alexander and Philbrick's better-written, more gripping books. (I now realize I only got the book because I confused it with Jennifer Niven's "Ice Master".)

The Jeannette sailed in 1879 hoping to reach the North Pole via the Bering Strait. The voyage was based on a disastrous theory then in vogue that a warm current from the Pacific flowed through the Bering and created a temperate, ice-free zone around the Pole. The Jeannette was quickly trapped in the ice, where it remained for two winters until the ice crushed the boat. The crew tried to make the Siberian shore in three lifeboats, which became separated (after dragging the boats a long distance across pack ice). One boat foundered in a gale, and all but two members of another boat died of starvation and exposure.

Guttridge wildly overplays his claims of a "conspiracy" to keep the true story submerged. Over the course a couple of years in the ice, people got on each other's nerves and some petty arguments intensified. This is hardly shocking. Did Capt. DeLong underutilize the half-blinded but hale Officer Danenhower during the ice crossing? Was DeLong too harsh toward the meteorologist Collins? Did engineer Melville wait too long in the village of Zemovialach before going to Bulun to start the search for DeLong's party? Perhaps, but the book never provides any reason to think that the death toll would have been any less otherwise. Guttridge's conspiracy seems mostly an attempt by the Navy to respect the dead by not publicizing the squabbles between crew members. The plodding pacing isn't helped by devoting chapters to DeLong's courtship with his wife and the provisioning of the ship.

(1=poor 2=mediocre 3=pretty good 4=very good 5=phenomenal)

The story of the Jeanette came to my attention through reading Jennifer Niven's excellent "Ice Master." Some of the scientists on the Karluk (the ship in "Ice Master") recognized the path their ship was taking was similar to that of the ill-fated Jeanette. Reading the diary of Jeanette Captain George Washington De Long caused them to fear their own captain's decisions and they decided to, once the Karluk sank and they were stranded on the ice, search for safety on their own. This powerful story which helped influence a group of men to make, what turned out to be, a fatal decision, is also full of political intrigue that fills the pages of Leonard Guttridge's "Icebound."

"New York Herald" publisher James Gordon Bennett Jr. had financially supported and followed in print Henry Morton Stanley's 1869 expedition in Africa to find David Livingstone. Ten years later, Bennett hoped to further boost his paper's popularity by backing Capt. De Long's quest for the North Pole. De Long, at that time, believed sailing through the Bering Strait led to a warm, ice-free route to the Pole. The mission was hampered by politics from the start. Cost-conscious Bennett and De Long contended with the naval collective board's insistence on re-hauling the Jeanette for such an endeavor. Bennett chose, for political reasons, a navigation officer with a history of mental breakdown. To build up excitement for the Jeanette's launch, Bennett pressured De Long with the added mission of finding an expedition believed to be lost which delayed the Jeanette's advancement towards the Pole. Moreover, the navy's decision not to provide an escort ship was deemed a personal affront to De Long and further impeded the Jeanette's progress.

The Jeanette was trapped in an ice pack for two winters. During this time, De Long saw a lot of his theories sink in the icy waters. For example, Wrangel Land was not connected to Greenland forming a transpolar continent, the ice in higher latitudes still contained too much salt for drinking, and no ice-free current to the Pole existed. He also contended with an insubordinate meteorologist and a mentally unstable navigation officer who had an undisclosed condition flare up and cause him to be useless on the ship. Once the Jeanette sank and the crew were icebound, De Long held these grudges and wouldn't allow these men to help move the crew across the ice. Much disenchantment with De Long's command brewed within the crew. The crew eventually split into three boats to navigate the complex mazes in the delta of Lena. The one group which made it to civilization was led by the highly capable engineer George W. Melville, who would find himself in the center of controversy over the way he led the search party. The suffering and final days of some of the crew members are detailed in this book.

The infightings of some of the participants, which includes Mrs. De Long and Mrs. Melville, make for a very intriguing story. Mrs. De Long had much more influence over her husband's career and the investigation than was usual for a woman during that time which explains why De Long and his wife-to-be's courtship is covered so thoroughly at the beginning of this book Guttridge's work definitely encourages me to look for more books on the Jeanette. One bit of information I would like to learn is what happened to sketches allegedly made of the bodies taken from their makeshift tomb at the Lena delta. "Icebound" is 357 pages including notes and index and several illustrations throughout including De Long's final diary entries. The first edition hardcover is surprisingly heavy for its size.

I have read a number of books on exploration and Icebound is a very dull read on what could have been a very interesting story. The Ghosts of Cape Sabine by the same author is much better, however it is also not amoung the best books out there. Take my advise and skip this book and read a five star book such as In the Heart of the Sea, Into Africa, Frozen in Time, The Last Place on Earth, Skeletons on the Zahara, Mawson's Will, Captured by the Indians, Over the Edge of the World, Fatal Passage or Barrow's Boys.